We bloodied the protectors

WE stood idly by while our system of justice broke further and further down.

WE were too busy anticipating the birth of the Jolie baby to pay any mind to the release of Mahoning County's Criminal Justice so-called Working Group Report/Plan-after all, we do need to prioritize,

We were too busy to question the Group's in-action last year while violent criminals like Raymond D. Walrond used the revolving door recently installed and over used at the Mahoning County Jail-the ONLY county jail in Ohio,the ONLY one of 88 counties in Ohio w/ a jail deemed UNCONSTITUTIONAL in United States Federal Court.

We were too busy deciding which lousy chain restaurant to have dinner at to wonder why the Mahoning County Sheriff is either unwilling or unable to perform his duties.

We were too busy manicuring our lawns to be concerned about what hell those too poor to leave the inner city of Youngstown had to suffer due to the inaction of elected officials meeting in private deciding the fate of those in that hell.

We were too busy choosing our "American Idol" to worry about those in the city who's only choice is to put metal bars on their own windows and doors locking themselves in self-imposed prisons.

We were too busy to wonder why a second Mahoning County Commissioner wouldn't shine the light on the Mahoning County Criminal Justice Working(sic) Group merely by attending while those in the city wondered if it would be safe enough for them to attend a worship service at their church.

We were too busy watching reruns of " Law and Order" to be concerned about the thousands of criminals "emergency released" from the UN -Constitutional Mahoning County Jail as countless spouses watch their husbands and wives don bullet-proof vests to protect them against possible violent attacks by those emergency releasees .

We were to busy arguing whether to watch re-runs of Deadwood or Everybody Loves Raymond to worry about some poor woman on the North Side of Boardman who's argument will end in her being brutalized by a man who earlier that same day professed his love for her to get between her legs and hours after she dialed 911 with her bloodied,bruised fingers the brutalizer is back at her door because his violent crime qualifies for emergency immediate release from the Mahoning County Jail.

Even we in the media were too busy with our pabulum nonsense stories from Katie Couric's new gig to the Jolie baby to some obviously numb skulled professional American football player's bike accident to wonder why public officials meeting about the criminal justice system's dysfunction insisted on meeting in PRIVATE while Federal Judge Dowd stated "...let me say that I,personally, have no problem with allowing [media] access to the meetings of the Working Group."

So what are we too busy with now?- Now that we have bloodied to cops?

Two cops who risked their lives to protect and defend ours.

Two cops who,donned w/bullet-proof vests rushed to a local store where those able to- rushed away.

Those two cops who rushed into a possibly violent situation w/o regard for their own lives but to protect and defend ours.

Those two cops who were forced to take a life to defend and protect our lives.

Those two cops who've been splattered with blood that will NEVER wash off-NEVER wash away-NEVER leave their being.

Who's going to tell them?

Who's not too busy?

Who's going to tell them,those two local heroic cops that it was WE that bloodied them?

We - by our in-action.

We - by our silence.

We - by standing idly by as our elected officials failed to work together.

We - by standing idly by as our elected officials did nothing week after week as offender after violent offender was immediately released from OUR Mahoning County Jail to commit further acts of violence and terror in their communities.

We-by standing idly by as our elected officials failed to act, not only in a timely fashion, but failed to act to the satisfaction of the Federal Court which continues to deem our county jail UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

We-by standing idly by as our elected officials cashed their pay checks while many in this community had no checks to cash as businesses and jobs flee the community.

So,WHO will tell these heroic cops that it is We,We the People of the Mahoning Valley that splattered them with blood that will never leave their souls.

WHO?? Well, I will !

I will tell them that I am truly sorry that it was the weakness and disinterest of we the people of this valley that led to the emergency release of Raymond D .Walrond, who after being charged with criminal trespassing,domestic violence and aggravated menacing qualified for OUR Emergency Release # 12 allowing him his freedom instead of ours-allowing him his freedom to terrorize this community-until we splattered YOU TWO with his blood-I am truly sorry as WE failed you ,although you two did NOT fail us.

~Louie b. Free

20 June 06 11:27 p

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